Numbers 15:32-41

Sabbath-breaking Punished

32 Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man ¹gathering wood on the sabbath day.

33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation;

34 and they put him in custody ²because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall surely be put to death; ³all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside * the camp."

36 So all the congregation brought him outside * * the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

37 The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying,

38 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves ⁴tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.

39 "It shall be a tassel for you to look at and ⁵remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,

40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and ⁶be holy to your God.

41 "I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God."

Numbers 15:32-41 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 15

In this chapter the children of Israel are instructed about the meat offerings and drink offerings, and the quantities of them, which were always to go along with their burnt offerings and peace offerings they should offer when they came into the land of Canaan, Nu 15:1-12; and they are told that the same laws and ordinances would be binding equally on them that were of the country, and on the strangers in it, Nu 15:13-16; and an order is given them to offer a cake of the first dough for an heave offering, Nu 15:17-21; and they are directed what sacrifices to offer for sins of ignorance, both of the congregation and particular persons, Nu 14:22-29; but as for presumptuous sinners, they were to be cut off, Nu 14:30,31; and an instance is recorded of stoning a sabbath breaker, Nu 14:32-36; and the chapter is concluded with a law for wearing fringes on the borders of their garments, the use of which is expressed, Nu 14:35-41.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 31:14, 15; Exodus 35:2, 3
• 2. Numbers 9:8
• 3. Leviticus 20:2, 27; Leviticus 24:14-23; Deuteronomy 21:21
• 4. Deuteronomy 22:12; Matthew 23:5
• 5. Deuteronomy 4:23; Deuteronomy 6:12; Deuteronomy 8:11, 14, 19
• 6. Leviticus 11:44, 45

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "prison"
• [b]. Lit "declared distinctly"
• [c]. Lit "with stones and he died"
• [d]. Lit "and you shall look at it"
• [e]. Lit "seek"